Joshua T. Stewart was educated in the public schools of Buffington township, the select schools at Strongstown, Armagh and Greenville, Millersville State normal school, Ada (Ohio) Normal University, and Indiana State normal school. He was reared on a farm in Buffington township. He became a member of the East Union United Presbyterian Church at the age of sixteen and was elected superintendent of the Sabbath school of the same church at the age of seventeen. At the age of eighteen he entered the profession of teaching in his native township, where he taught three terms of school; also taught two terms of school in West Wheatfield township. After having taught five terms in the public schools and attending school three or four months in the summer, besides assisting his parents on the farm, he decided to enter the Indiana State normal school, from which he graduated in 1888. After graduating he taught one term as assistant principal of the public schools of Indiana borough. The following summer he conducted a select school at Smithport, Banks township, Indiana county.

On Jan. 1, 1889, Mr. Stewart was married to Miss Emma Mack, a daughter of Hugh and Mary Ann (McCrorey) Mack, of West Wheatfield township, and they went to housekeeping in Mechanicsburg borough, where he taught the two winters and three summers following. His select schools in this place were very largely attended and many young men and women were prepared to enter the teaching profession. He then purchased the store of William Goffe, in Centerville, Pa., and having been elected as principal of the public schools of New Florence, Pa., decided to locate at Centerville. With the help of his wife and clerks he managed the store and taught two winters and one summer at New Florence and one summer at Armagh, Pa. These two summer terms were conducted jointly by Prof. C. A. Campbell and J. T. Stewart. There were one hundred and twenty-five students enrolled in the school at Armagh, ninety of whom were in the teachers' grade. The joint school held the following year at Armagh and New Florence enrolled two hundred students, the majority of whom were teachers. The two following summers J. T. Stewart taught at Grisemore, Pa., a country place where two very successful terms of school were held. In these schools, teachers from Indiana, Cambria and Westmoreland counties were enrolled.

He then decided to be a candidate for the superintendency of the schools of Indiana county and moved in 1895 to Indiana, Pa., that he might be in a convenient place to make a canvass for the office. He was defeated for the office in 1896 and engaged to teach school at Greenville (Penn Run), Pa., where he taught two summers and one winter term. The attendance at his summer terms was very large, the enrollment being one hundred each time. The schools were a decided success and the work was highly appreciated by the pupils and citizens.

In 1899 he was elected on first ballot by a handsome majority over three other candidates, as the superintendent of the schools of Indiana county, which position he held for nine years. During his term the schools increased in number and efficiency and the Teachers' County Institute and Directors' Association were a pronounced success. At the close of his three terms as superintendent of the schools he with his family went to Greeley, Colo., where they spent the winter, returning in the spring to their home on Philadelphia street, Indiana, Pennsylvania.

Emma, the wife of J. T. Stewart, died Nov. 15, 1910. She was a member of the first United Presbyterian Church of Indiana, Pa. She was a loving wife and devoted mother, and would bear suffering without a complaint that others might be comforted. She is buried in the Greenwood cemetery at Indiana, Pa. Their children are: (1) Joseph Mack, born in Mechanicsburg, Jan. 9, 1890, was educated in the public schools of Indiana borough, Greeley normal school and the Indiana State normal school. At the age of seventeen he taught the Ferguson school in White township, Indiana county, with marked success. He was employed for two years surveying for the Buffalo, Rochester & Pittsburg Railroad Company, and resigned to accept a position as bookkeeper in the Citizens' National Bank of Indian, Pa., which position he held for one year, when he was elected as the cashier of the Bolivar National Bank, and in May, 1913, was elected cashier of the Merchants' & Miners' Deposit Bank of Portage, Pa., at a salary of $1,500. On Oct. 28, 1911, he was married to Emma Sacks. They have one child, Joseph Mack Stewart, Jr., born Dec. 13, 1912. (2) Elizabeth Mary Edna, born in Centerville, Feb. 10, 1894, graduated from the public schools of Indiana borough in 1910, and is now a senior in the Indiana State normal school. The son and daughter are both members of the First United Presbyterian Church of Indiana, Pa. (3) A third child, Irene, was born Feb. 4, 1897, and died May 8, 1897.

While living in Mechanicsburg, J. T. Stewart was elected and ordained as elder of the United Presbyterian Church of that place, and served in the same capacity in the New Florence United Presbyterian Church, and at present is the clerk of the session of the First United Presbyterian Church at Indiana, Pa. He is a director of the Citizens' National Bank and secretary of the Y. M. C. A. at Indiana, Pennsylvania.

On June 4, 1913, he married Genevieve Morrison, a graduate of the Indiana State normal school and a teacher of successful experience. She is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Morrison, of East Mahoning township, Indiana Co., Pennsylvania.

"After retiring as IC Sup't, Mr. S. and family spent eight months in Greeley, Colo., then returned 1909 to Indiana where he entered the real estate and insurance business representing U. S. Fidelity & Guaranty Co. He was District Deputy of Weights & Measures, 1927-34.

"In 1934 at the age of 72 he was nominated and elected to the Pennsylvania House on the Republican ticket, and was reelected in 1936 and 1938. He was nominated by his party for a fourth term in April 1940 but died before the election in November.

"Mr. S. joined the East Union U. P. Church at age 16 and a year later became sup't of the Sabbath School. When he moved to Brush Valley he became an elder there and also at New Florence later. When he moved to Indiana he connected with First U. P. Church, was a ruling elder 1902-40, sup't of the Sabbath School 17 yrs., and teacher of the young men's Bible class. He was secretary of the Board, Y.M.C.A., 10 yrs. and a director of Citizens' National Bank, Indiana."
--Clarence D. Stephenson, "Indiana County 175th Anniversary History."